The Imperial Palace from 1420 to 1912, the Forbidden City was once the centre of the Chinese universe as the seat of the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasty. Located just off Tiananmen Square, the magnificent buildings still dominate the centre of Beijing; over 180 acres of exquisite and ornate traditional Chinese palatial architecture, built to an exact symmetry and geometry to achieve the perfect balance of yin and yang. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.

The Forbidden City, is the world’s largest palace complex and China’s best preserved collection of ancient building. It is known as the ‘forbidden’ city due to the fact it was off limits for 500 years to commoners, unless they were expressly invited, and has 980 buildings within its moat and turreted walls. Whilst the buildings themselves are grandiose and beautiful, you’ll also find a wealth of dynastic artefacts inside – the very best way to glimpse what life was like for the emperor in Imperial China.